Читать книгу 50 Best Short Hikes: San Diego - Jerry Schad - Страница 17

COASTAL NORTH COUNTY

Coastal North County’s signature feature is a 20-mile-long, nearly unbroken strand of beaches and shoreline communities. From north to south, they are Oceanside, Carlsbad, Leucadia, Encinitas, Cardiff, Solana Beach, and Del Mar. Compared to the more densely populated core of San Diego to the south, life is a bit slower in these towns. Here, surfing culture has thrived for decades.

But it’s not all surfing, all the time. The best hiking opportunities along the North County coastal area center on the immediate coastline, especially along select stretches of sandy beach and also along the margins of several coastal lagoons.

For casual hikers, these venues nearly always offer easy walking and mild—even cool—weather conditions. On the beach itself, there’s plenty of surfing talent to ogle, and alongside the lagoons a wide variety of birds will capture your attention.

One caveat: Warm summer weekends may bring throngs of beachgoers to the coastline, making parking a severe challenge. The solution, of course, is to get there early or wait until late afternoon.